Nuka's Test
by ArizonaSivy
Summary: Ever wonder what happened to Shenzi, Banzai and Ed after TLK and why didn't they make it into the second movie? Well here's the story.


**AN: Another effect of me practicing my writing skills on stories concerning the evil part of the Lion King family... Hope you enjoy it.**

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><p>Storm. Thunder. Lightning.<p>

Why does this night have to be so similar to that one? That horrible, awful night… It's memory still pierces my heart like a splinter, like a hundred thorns it causes constant sorrow, constant pain. As the water streams down the rocks, washing my paws, I picture in my head the lake of blood I had to cross in order to deliver my last goodbye to him. My king. My beloved. Once so proud and beautiful, but then hideously massacred, with his body ripped, broken bones, the rain having his blood form a river that tainted my fur… Oh, if only I had been there! If only I had came earlier, my paws would not be soaked in the blood of Scar, but in the blood of everyone that has ever dared to raise a paw on him!

There is no blood on my fur now, but I can still feel it. My mate's tragic and unjust downfall is something that's going to haunt me forever. That feeling is exactly why this night is going to be a very important one. Like then, there is a storm tonight. And also tonight someone's blood is going to flow like a river in which I will wash my paws. Only this time I am going to enjoy every second of it.

There are three of them. I wonder if that weakling of a lion can take them all by himself. Well, if not, I certainly won't hesitate in helping him. They all have to die and that has to happen tonight. Nuka better do his job correctly.

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><p>A slim lioness was sitting on the ground, the rain pouring on her fur, which reflected the strikes of lightning. Her reddish eyes were full of insane bloodlust, fixed on the bottom of a small canyon. Inside it there was someone who she'd been looking for a long time.<p>

A young lion approached her from behind. Or more, a caricature of a lion- skinny, sickly, with parasite-infested fur… The intense rain made him look extremely miserable. He sat down heavily and sighed.

-Uh, mom… Why did you bring me here? It's almost midnight, and besides, it's freakin raining…

She turned around growling, piercing him with her sight.

-You foolish child! – she whispered. – Quiet down, or you'll ruin everything!

Nuka cringled. His mother was looking at him with anger for a moment, but later she turned around and walked to the edge of the canyon, showing him to follow with a motion of her head. The young lion rose from the ground and made a few silent steps. He looked down from the top of the cliff. At first he saw only darkness, but then a flash of lightning illuminated the inside of the canyon for a blink of an eye. Hidden well among the rocks, sheltered from the rain, three hyenas were lying there, sleeping.

-Can you see them? – Zira whispered.

-Yeah! Who are they mother?

The lioness laughed ominously. They were the ones who spilled Scar's blood, she thought. Finally, after months of searching and hunting dozens of the pathetic lesser minions of their former, treacherous army, she found the trio of generals. And now was their time to pay.

-These are walking corpses, Nuka. Your assignment will be to make them stop walking.

She approached her son with an inquiring gaze. The haggard lion smiled, awkwardly.

-Wha… what do you mean, mom?

Zira grinned, a flash of lightning reflected from her fangs.

-Do you remember the three hyenas you used to play with as a cub?

-Er, you mean Shenzi? And Banzai? A-and Ed?

The lioness nodded. Nuka could hardly recall anything from the time they used to live on the Pride Lands, but that trio he could not forget, as they were probably the only ones, who 'kind of' liked him and who he could 'kind of' call friends when he was a cub. Sadly, he didn't see them after they were exiled, as king Simba had also banished all of the hyenas. The Outsiders often had to fight them for food nowadays, so Nuka feared, that his former friends might already be dead. Until tonight.

-What? You mean to tell me that that's them? I-in the canyon?

Nuka raised his voice from the excitement. His mother didn't like that. She slapped him and gave him another angry look.

-What did I tell you about staying quiet? Yes, those are exactly the same hyenas. The traitorous leaders of Scar's former army. The ones… who killed him…

Zira became growling and scratching the rock with her claw. She was overflown with fury. Nuka was quite shocked, hearing what she was saying.

-Ki… killed him? But I thought… You told us that… Simba did.

The lioness lifted her head, observing her son with great irritation.

-Of course he did! He is responsible for Scar's death, if it wasn't for that damned impostor we'd still be the ones to rule from the top of Pride Rock. But the hyenas were the ones to kill Scar. They ate him, Nuka! Do you understand what it was for me to see his corpse ripped to pieces by the jaws of hyenas? Why do you think we kill them on sight? Those three spilled his blood, but tonight they picked a bad hiding spot. Tonight they are going to die!

Zira paused, panting. The rain ran down her body as she stood, observing her frightened son. After a minute, she continued in a firm tone.

-Your behavior has made me wonder, Nuka. Wonder if you, who are now at the beginning of adulthood, should not start to live your own life. If you shouldn't leave to find yourself a pride of your own…

-Mother! – the lion groaned with fear.

-Hush, child! I am only saying that I'm considering such a possibility. What will happen depends on this particular night and on your actions.

She approached him, looking straight into his eyes. He felt as if Zira was having great expectations concerning him. Nuka didn't recall his mother ever to have looked at him like that.

-I want to test you, Nuka. If you prove yourself worthy, we'll simply forget what I said about you leaving. But if you fail… well, let's just hope you don't.

He gulped, feeling shivers running down his spine. This might have been a great chance to finally gain some of his mother's respect, but he was still afraid.

-Wh… what do you want me to do?

-Isn't it obvious? – Zira gazed at him seriously. – Kill the hyenas, child. Kill them just like they killed Scar. Don't let anyone escape. That will please me.

Nuka stood on top of the cliff in the pouring rain. Below him, hidden behind the rocks, laid his former friends, sleeping and unsuspecting.

-Well… if mother says they were the ones who killed Scar… - he said to himself.

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><p>Zira was looking at the scarlet stream, flowing inside the canyon and between her paws. She was grinning with content. At last, a little justice. A little consolation… She put her paw into the stream of rainwater and observed as it slowly washed away the blood. Her son's voice woke her up from her trance.<p>

-There, mother. Are you pleased now? – Nuka stood in front of her, smeared with blood, breathing deeply.

-Why, yes, my child! – the lioness lifted her head and smiled. – Your idea of strangling all of those mutts in their sleep wasn't bad at all, too bad that retarded one woke up… Good thing mommy was here for you.

But her son didn't smile back. Instead, he started to walk away.

-Nuka, wait! – Zira said. He halted and sighed. Turning around, he saw his mother's gruesome grin. – We aren't finished here yet. In order to avenge Scar, we must treat these hyenas just like they treated him.

The lion suddenly became hot.

-What do you mean, mother? – he asked with anxiety.

-Come on, Nuka. Aren't you hungry after the fight? We wouldn't want all of that meat to go to waste, would we?

The lion grimaced with disgust. He felt his stomach tighten. He remembered playing with them, he killed them and now he even had to eat them?

-Let's go, child! I'm waiting! – urged the lioness.

He had to choose. Either he'd submit to his mother's will and risk throwing up, or stand up to her and face her anger. The choice was easy for him.

-As you say, mother…

Nuka lowered his head, preparing himself for the worse midnight snack he ever had. He hoped that Zira would respect him from now on, so that maybe he wouldn't have to do anything like that ever again.

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><p><strong>AN: I know I made Zira look like a crazy wench, but I suppose everybody does. And why didn't she send out Kovu to hunt the hyenas, you ask? Well, first, he was still too young at that time. Second, she wanted to see if Nuka was worth anything at all.<strong>

**I only got two things to say- don't force your kids to eat your enemies, and review, for goodness' sake!**


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